Universal air removal port

ABSTRACT

Universal air removal port comprises of check valve, air sieve and adhesive inserts. Check valve is bonded to exterior and air sieve to interior hole created on food bag, converting to manual vacuum sealer. Multiple small openings prevent blocking of air sieve by foods and flat top plate reinforces bonding of food bag and valve. Amorphous viscid adhesive inserts fill micro holes and grooves on part surfaces, preventing formation of micro tracts and loss of vacuum. Universal air removal port can be removed from empty bags and reused on new food bags.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of applicant's Ser. No. 14/143,173 filed Dec. 20, 2013 and is a continuation-in-part of applicant's Ser. No. 12/880,253 filed Sep. 13, 2008 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,471 issued Nov. 15, 2011, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a universal air removal port. More specifically the air removal port that can be installed on any existing food bags, as the word, “universal” implies, such as factory packed frozen food bags with or without resealing zipper strips, new empty food bags with or without resealing zipper strips, including slider. In case of food bags without resealing zipper strips, the open ends of the bags are sealed by an impulse heat sealer. The universal air removal port is installed on one side of the food bag wall through a punched circular hole. Once it is installed on a food bag, vacuum can be induced by manual compression on the sealed bag without any tools. When the food bag becomes unsuitable for further use, the universal air removal port can be removed and installed on another new bag—reusable.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98:

Many frozen foods are sold in plastic packages with built-in zipper strips for resealing. Some of them are vacuum sealed at the factory. After they are cut and opened, however, none of them is equipped with a device that allows induction of vacuum. There is no consumer device on the market which allows removal of air from the resealed food packages.

The problem with presently designed factory sealed food packages is two-fold, the first being that ice is formed on the food content if the package is sealed without vacuum and the second being that no measures are provided to induce vacuum in the resealed package following opening of the sealed package for addition of food or for removing a portion of its content. In both cases, when the seal is broken to allow removal and/or addition of food, the entry of air and moisture into the package frequently causes ice formation. The result is a deterioration of the food and a reduction in flavor and edibility. Also the long term storage viability of the food contained therein is reduced upon resealing.

Various patents have been disclosed pertaining to closures and sealing systems for food packages, and they include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,941,310; 5,009,828; 5,070,584; US 2003/0152296 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,147; B2; 2004/0114837 A1; 2004/0161178 A1; 2005/0196077 A1; 2005/0244083 A1; and, 2007/0110340 A1. However, as noted, supra, none of the above patents provide a means that allows consumers to induce vacuum in the resealed food package in order to solve the problem of ice formation and air and moisture contamination following opening of a food package to access the contents therein.

What is needed is a product to allow an ordinary consumer to make a vacuum seal on any existing food package after being sealed. Therefore, presented in this disclosure is an air removal device, referred to as a Universal Air Removal Port.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the universal air removal port that can be installed on any existing plastic food packages, converting them to vacuum sealers for continued, long term storage. Universal air removal port comprises of a check valve and an air sieve which are bonded to one side of the plastic wall of a food package, sandwiching a punched hole by means of flat washer shape double-sided adhesive inserts, referred to as adhesive donuts. When the universal air removal port is installed on a food bag, low vacuum can be induced by manual compression on the sealed bag without any tools—manual vacuum sealers. If the remaining interior air from the sealed bag is removed further by means of a vacuum pump, high vacuum is achieved. When the food bag becomes unsuitable for continued use, the universal air removal port can be removed and installed on a new food bag—reusable.

It is another object of the universal air removal port which allows users to choose the types of food packages, depending on their purposes. The variants include (1) the type of check valve, either a tubular flat disk valve or a box shape compressed foam sponge valve, and (2) the type of sealing modalities of the food packages, either resealing zipper strips with or without slider or permanent seal by an impulse heat sealer. If the tubular flat disk valve is installed on the bag, low vacuum can be induced by flat hands compression alone on the sealed bag, but the vacuum lasts only for a short period of time because of low traction force applied to the flat valve disk by low vacuum of the sealed bag. This problem can be solved by capping the air outlet leg of the tubular flat disk valve.

If the remaining interior air from the sealed bag is removed by a vacuum pump, high vacuum, up to −70 kPa, can be achieved. The tubular flat disk valve can hold high vacuum for a prolonged period of time, if the food bag is permanently sealed by heat. Zipper strips are, however, incapable of holding vacuum for days. The food bag with zipper strips with slider on which the universal air removal port is installed is best suited for a relatively short storage of foods, especially when repetitive accesses to the content is needed. By contrast, the compression foam sponge valve can hold vacuum of any magnitude for a long period of time because the powerful expansive closing force of the compressed foam sponge block is not influenced by the interior vacuum pressure of the sealed bag. The force of air flow generated by the compression of the sealed food bag is, however, too weak to counteract the expansive force of the foam block. This problem can be solved by either making the valve housing in two separable pieces, relieving compression of the foam sponge block or by inserting a spatula into the valve, creating a free air passage through the valve.

In case of two-piece valve housing, when the upper valve shell is separated from the lower shell, the compression of the foam sponge block becomes nil. After low vacuum is induced by manual compression on the sealed bag, the upper shell is pressed down until it snaps on the lower shell, restoring the expansive closing force of the compression foam sponge valve. If the spatula is inserted into the valve, low vacuum can be induced by manual compression on the sealed bag. After the vacuum is induced, the spatula is pulled out, leaving the sealed food bag in low vacuum. If the spatula is hooked up to a vacuum pump and the remaining interior air is removed from the sealed food bag, high vacuum is induced. After the spatula is pulled out, the high vacuum of the sealed food bag remains for a prolonged period of time, provided the food bag is permanently sealed by heat. Based on these variables, the consumers can choose the best combination of valve and sealing method of food package.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded projection view of a conventional tubular flat disk valve and simple tubular air sieve are bonded to the external and internal bore of a food package by means of flat washer shape double-sided adhesive inserts, referred to as adhesive donuts.

FIG. 2A-2C shows a lower shell of two-piece separable box shape compressed foam sponge valve housing.

FIG. 3A-3C shows the upper shell of the two-piece separable box shape compressed foam sponge valve housing.

FIG. 4A-4D illustrates the two-piece separable box valve housing incorporates rectangular foam sponge block without compression.

FIG. 5A-5D shows the upper shell of the two-piece box shape housing is snapped on the lower shell, compressing the foam sponge block.

FIG. 6A-6C shows an adhesive donut.

FIG. 7A-7C shows a cylindrical air sieve.

FIG. 8A-8D illustrates a wedge shape hollow spatula.

FIG. 9A-9C illustrates the spatula of FIG. 8 inserted into the assembled box shape compressed foam sponge valve of FIG. 5 between the compressed foam sponge block and the bottom wall of the lower shell of the box shape compressed foam sponge valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 Illustrates an exploded projection view of universal air removal port, using a conventional tubular flat disk valve 100-104 and a simple design of an air sieve 109 & 110. The inferior flat surface 103 of the valve housing 102 is bonded to an exterior bore 107 of a plastic food package wall 106 (only a small portion is shown) by means of an adhesive donut 105 and the top flat plate 109 of an air sieve 110 is bonded to the interior bore 107 of the food package wall 106 by means of another adhesive donut 108. The inlet leg 104 of the valve is inserted into the adhesive donut 105, food bag 107, second adhesive donut 108 and central air path of the air sieve (hidden behind the top plate 109). The flat valve disk (which resides inside the valve housing 102 and not visible) shuts the inflow of air into the sealed food package (only its portion 106 is shown).

The flat valve disk opens easily if the sealed food bag is compressed by flat hands since the traction force on the valve disk generated by the low vacuum of the sealed food bag is weak. Because of a weak traction force applied to the flat valve disk by low vacuum of the sealed food bag, the flat valve disk stays in closed position only for a short period of time. This problem is circumvented by capping the air outflow leg 101 so that the atmospheric air cannot enter the sealed food package. High vacuum can be established by removing the remaining interior air from the sealed bag by a vacuum pump (not shown). High vacuum can be maintained only if the food package is permanently sealed. Zipper strips on the food package cannot withstand high vacuum.

FIG. 2A-2C shows the lower part of a two-piece box shape valve housing 200, which is a modification of the box shape compressed foam sponge valve, as described in the inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,471; FIG. 2A front view, FIG. 2B bottom view, FIG. 2C top isometric view. The compressed foam sponge block has a strong expansive closing force and cannot be opened by manual compression on the sealed food package. In order to make manual induction of vacuum in the food package feasible on which the box shape compressed foam sponge valve is installed, the box shape valve housing is made in two separable pieces, the lower part 200 and the upper part 300 of FIG. 3A-3C Side walls 201, 202, 203, and 204 and bottom wall 205 form a hollow rectangular lower box part 200. The front wall 203 has a rectangular window 208 to be used for insertion of a spatula of FIG. 8A-8D. The bottom wall 205 has a tubular protrusion 209 with circular air outflow opening 210. The side walls 201 & 202 have catching bars 206 & 207 at the low ends.

FIG. 3A-3C shows the upper part 300 of the box valve housing. The interior of the top wall 301 has a rectangular shallow recess 302 for placement of a foam sponge block of FIG. 4A-4D. Side walls 303 & 304 have hooking bars 305 & 306 at the low ends.

FIG. 4A-4D shows two parts of the box valve housing 200 & 300 are assembled with a rectangular foam sponge block 400; FIG. 4A front view, FIG. 4B side view, FIG. 4C top isometric view, FIG. 4D sectional view along the line 4D-4D of FIG. 4A. The rectangular foam sponge block 400 is placed in the shallow rectangular recess 302 (not visible) of the upper part 300 and inserted into the lower part 200. The uncompressed rectangular foam sponge block 400 is sitting on the circular air outflow opening 210 but can be easily lifted with a small force.

FIG. 5A-5D illustrates the two-piece box shape valve with compressed foam sponge valve; FIG. 5A bottom view, FIG. 5B front view, FIG. 5C bottom isometric view, FIG. 5D sectional view along the line 5D-5D of FIG. 5A. The upper part 300 is pushed down towards the lower part 200 until side hooking bars 305 & 306 snap on the catching bars 206 & 207 of the lower part 200. The foam sponge block is now compressed 401 and a portion 402 is bulging out into the circular opening 210 of the tubular protrusion 209 of the bottom wall 205.

FIG. 6A-6C shows a flat washer shape double-sided adhesive insert, referred to as adhesive donut 601. The adhesive donut 601 has double-sided adhesive 602 & 603 which are covered with protective liners 604 & 605 on both sides. They have tabs 606 & 607, facilitating peeling off the liners at the time of application. The amorphous viscid adhesive materials 602 & 603 covering both sides of the insert 601 fills micro holes and grooves on the macroscopically flat inferior valve wall 103 of a tubular flat disk valve and top plate 109 of the air sieve 110 of FIG. 1, eliminating the formation of micro air tracts between them when they are bonded. Similarly, the amorphous viscid adhesive materials fill the micro holes and grooves of the bottom wall of the lower shell 205 and top flat plate 705 of the air sieve 700 of FIG. 9A-9C before bonding them to the food package wall 900, thus eliminating the formation of micro air tracts between them.

FIG. 7A-7C shows another design of air sieve 700; FIG. 7A bottom view, FIG. 7B side view, FIG. 7C top isometric view. The configuration of the air sieve is not critical, provided it has multiple small openings for air passage and a flat supporting plate at the top. A bottom wall 701, a side wall 702, and a top wall 703 have multiple small openings in order to block wrapping of the air outflow passage 706 of the universal air removal port by foods and food package wall. A short tubular protrusion 704 has a flat top plate 705. It bonds to the interior food package wall 900 and reinforces the bonding of the lower box wall 205 and the food package 900 of FIG. 9A-9C. This prevents detachment of the food package 900 from the lower box wall 205 when high vacuum is induced in the food package.

FIG. 8A-8D illustrates a wedge shape hollow spatula 800; FIG. 8A perspective view, FIG. 8B side view, FIG. 8C bottom view, FIG. 8D top isometric view. A wedge shape hollow spatula 800 has a thin leading edge 801, bottom wall 807 with a rectangular air intake opening 808, side walls 805 & 806, back wall 804, top walls 802 & 803 and a tubular protrusion 809 extending from the top back wall 803. The central opening 810 provides an air outflow.

FIG. 9A-9C illustrates the box shape compressed foam sponge valve of FIG. 5A-5D and the air sieve of FIG. 7A-7C are installed on a food bag with the spatula of FIG. 9A-9D in place; FIG. 9A back view, FIG. 9B perspective view, FIG. 9C sectional view along the line 9C-9C of FIG. 9B. The spatula 800 is inserted into the window of the front wall (not visible) and advanced into the valve box, between the compressed foam sponge block 401 and the bottom shell 205 of the lower box valve shell 200. The rectangular air intake opening 808 is aligned with the air intake opening 210 of the lower box shell 205 and 706 of the air sieve 700. The spatula 800 is placed over the bottom wall 205 of the lower valve shell 200 before the valve housing 200 & 300 are assembled with foam sponge block 401. Then the upper box shell 300 is pushed down towards the lower box shell 200, until the hooking bars 304 & 305 snap on the catching bars 206 & 207, the foam sponge block becomes compressed 401 between the upper valve shell 200 and lower valve shell 300. Wide open air channel is established, consisting of the multiple openings of the air sieve 701-703, circular openings 706 of the lower box shell 205, rectangular opening 210 of the bottom wall 205 of the lower shell 200, rectangular air intake opening of the spatula 808 and the central tubular opening 810 of the tubular protrusion of the spatula 809. This wide open air flow passway allows an easy induction of low vacuum in the sealed food bag 900 by manual compression alone. After the low vacuum is induced in the sealed food bag 900, a vacuum pump (not shown) may be connected to the back tubular protrusion 809 to aspirate the remaining interior air from the sealed bag 900, inducing high vacuum. Adhesive donuts 601 & 609 bond the valve housing wall 205 and the food bag wall 900 (only a portion is shown) and the top plate 705 of the air sieve 700 to the interior food bag wall 900, while filling any possible micro air tract between the bonded compartments. The top plate 705 reinforces the bonding of the food bag 900 and the lower valve shell 205, preventing detachment of the food bag 900 off the box 205.

After the high vacuum is induced in the food package 900, the spatula 800 is pulled out, restoring the expansive closing force of the compressed foam sponge 401 and the sealed food package remains in high vacuum.

Thus, specific embodiments of a universal air removal port have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. 

1. A universal air removal port comprising: a one-way check valve of either a tubular flat disk valve or a box shape valve having a compressed foam sponge block; an air sieve with a central air passage and cylindrical walls with multiple openings and a top flat plate; a first and a second double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive inserts; said first double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive insert having a central bore that is bonded to an inferior flat surface of said valve housing; said second double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive insert that is bonded to a top flat plate of said air sieve; said double-sided amorphous viscid adhesive inserts fill any micro holes or grooves on the rigid valve housing or air sieve top plate, eliminating formation of micro tracts for air passage between the food package and the valve or air sieve; a hole created in a plastic food bag; the valve is bonded to the exterior hole of the plastic food bag and the air sieve is bonded to the interior hole; a central bore of the air sieve is aligned with an inlet leg of the valve which sticks out through the hole of the plastic food bag, whereas when the both the valve and air sieve are pressed firmly towards each other, they sandwich walls of the plastic food bag and the universal air removal port is bonded to the plastic food bag without formation of micro tracts for air passage.
 2. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the closing force of the box shape valve is a combination of dominant expansive force of the compressed foam sponge block and minimal traction force on the foam sponge block by the internal vacuum pressure of the plastic food bag, thereby the valve remains shut regardless of the interior vacuum pressure of the sealed food bag, and a manual compression of the box shape valve is feasible only after the top part of the valve housing is disengaged from the bottom part, relieving the compression of the foam block or a spatula is inserted into the valve, creating a free air passage.
 3. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the closing force of the flat disk valve solely depends on the traction force generated by the internal vacuum of the plastic food package, and air flow is generated by manual compression on a sealed bag expels the interior air from the food package readily through the tubular flat disk valve, and when the vacuum pressure of the sealed food bag is low, the traction force on the valve disk is weak and the tubular valve outflow leg needs to be capped, thereby preventing inflow of air into the sealed bag.
 4. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the remaining air in the sealed plastic food bag following manual compression is further removed by a vacuum pump, achieving high vacuum.
 5. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the universal air removal port is installable on an existing plastic food bags such as factory sealed food bag.
 6. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the existing plastic food bag is selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, or laminate.
 7. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the existing plastic food bag has a built-in resealing zipper strips with or without slider.
 8. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the existing plastic food bag does not have a built-in resealing zipper strips.
 9. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein the existing plastic food bag has open ends sealed by an impulse heat sealer.
 10. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein said amorphous viscid adhesive bonding element eliminates surface imperfections between the selected plastic food bag walls and said first or said second part of an air removal port.
 11. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein said first part and said second part of said air removal port is removable from the food bag when the plastic food bag becomes unsuitable for further use and be installed on another new plastic food bag, thus are re-usable.
 12. The universal air removal port according to claim 1 wherein a loss of vacuum is visible when food content within the plastic food bag is no longer clearly delineated or the food contents moves around inside the plastic food bag when pressed by fingers.
 13. The universal air removal port according to claim 13 wherein the loss of vacuum in the plastic food bag is rectified by manual compression on the plastic food bag, pushing air out or aspirating air from the plastic food bag by a vacuum pump. 